Tradeshow Floor: Let the Floodgates Open!

And so it began this morning, at 10 a.m. An impatient crowd had gathered in front of the exhibit hall doors. Many tried to slip past the dozens of gatekeepers, only to have their efforts thwarted. I know, because I was one of them. Instead, I waited for about 15 minutes and commiserated with those around me about how frustrating it is to wait.

One gentleman tried three separate times to sneak his way around the staff. First he tried the innocent foreigner bit (he is an Italian, with company headquarters based in Milan). The charming accent failed to impress. Next, he made a break for it, assuming that speed would be on his side. No dice. His final attempt was to piggy-back on another broker who had the coveted Exhibitor-Only badge. Thrice denied.

When the floodgates finally opened, there was a collective sense of relief. And a sense of urgency for those attendees who love to shop the showroom floor. I headed straight to the far end of the hall, to work my way backward in an attempt to avoid some crowds. I found myself first at the Gitter & Associates booth, California-based workers' compensation settlement specialists.

It was a rather unremarkable booth in a not-too-desirable location. But passers by were sucked in by the appearance of two extremely attractive, extremely buxom San Diego Chargers cheerleaders. Explained Director of Marketing Gregory Oswell, "Cheerleading is a job with a lot of physical activity, a lot of risk." Nodding his head in the direction of the giggling girls posing for photos with attendees, he added, "We're looking out for them."

Passing next by the RIMS Massage Station, there was already a line forming at 10 a.m. A couple folks waiting for a co-worker to be finished with his massage commented on the fact that their friend made a beeline for the booth once the exhibit hall opened. "He has a lot of stress," one attendee said by way of explanation. The masseuse chimed in on the conversation, "I can tell by all the knots in his back," she said. Imagine that, a stressed-out risk manager?

At the PMSI booth, a young college student named Robbie was on a pedestal, solving a Rubik's Cube with a couple flicks of the wrist. His ability raised some eyebrows, but he downplayed his talent by saying there are lots of cube-solving competitors such as himself out there and they are by no means a lot of geniuses. Somehow I find that hard to believe.

Attendees roaming the hall during its opening hours hit up Zurich's booth for a free Starbucks fix, or watched an entertaining comedian/magician at MedRisk's booth, or got a book signed by RIMS keynote speaker Christopher Gardner, or ogled a sexy female pool shark sinking balls one after another at the Prime Health Services booth, or made a fool of themselves playing fake musical instruments in the Rock Band video game at Aon's booth.

Popular booth giveaways could be seen hanging on the arms of many an attendee--tote bags! Some of the more noticeable included Bermuda's puke-green colored bag, and VeriClaim's many animal print totes.

Comments shared among passers by varied when it came to exhibit hall feedback. One attendee almost seemed to be whining when she said to her companion, "There are NO fun toys! This is really sad." Others were more upbeat, including Alicia White, a business development executive with Bowen, Miclette & Britt Inc. A first-time RIMS attendee, she carried three tote bags filled to the brim, as well as a stuffed backpack, all which threatened to whack any fellow attendees who weren't aware are their surroundings.

But despite the volume of her tradeshow booty, she claimed to be selective about what items she grabbed and what items she left behind. What's hot? Sturdy tote bags for yourself and co-workers, and toys for the kids. "You got to have things you can use," she said. "No more stress balls!"

It's too bad White spoke ill of one of the most prominent tradeshow tchotchkes. Stress relievers came in all shapes, sizes and colors: globes, alligators, bones, beach balls, tennis balls, baseballs, footballs, brains, penguins--even little pigs with wings.

After an exhausting two hours walking around the exhibit hall, tomorrow I might be passing up the stress balls myself, but not the massage booth. I plan on being there bright and early with all the rest of the risk managers complaining of knotted-up backs and tense necks.